By Theo Notteboom
Mixed growth performance among the top 15 EU container ports in the first half of 2026:
- The combined container throughput of the three largest EU ports declined by 1.5% in H1 2026. While Hamburg recorded a robust 7.3% year-on-year increase in 2025, it was unable to sustain this growth momentum during the first half of 2026. Container volumes in Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges proved relatively resilient and were less affected by the slowdown.
- The revival of other ports in the German port system continues. Bremerhaven is approaching 6% growth, while JadeWeserPort in Wilhelmshaven is further strengthening its claim to a place among Europe’s top 15 container ports, posting an impressive 36% year-on-year increase. This follows an exceptional 74% growth in 2025 and a 58% surge in 2024. If this trend continues throughout the remainder of 2026, Wilhelmshaven is likely to enter the top 15 ranking in 14th position.
- Several other top-15 ports achieved solid growth. Gdansk leads the field with an impressive 23% increase, largely driven by the operational ramp-up of the newest terminal at Baltic Hub. Gioia Tauro continues its strong growth trajectory, although no official half-year figures have yet been released. French ports HAROPA and Marseille also recorded significant gains. HAROPA is expected to retain its position within the top 10, while Marseille, despite its strong performance, remains just outside the top 15. Sines is likely to maintain its place in the ranking, despite a 4.3% decline in container traffic.
- In Spain, Valencia struggled to maintain the growth momentum observed in previous years. By contrast, Algeciras, Barcelona and Las Palmas reported healthy traffic increases and continued to strengthen their market positions.
- Ports of Genoa moved up one position in last year’s ranking, supported by an acceleration in growth from 2.9% in 2024 to 6.3% in 2025. However, a 2.7% decline in container traffic during the first half of 2026 is likely to result in the loss of two positions this year. Likewise, Piraeus remained in negative territory and is expected to slip to eighth place in the rankings.
- Overall, the H1 2026 results point to an increasingly differentiated landscape across the European container port system, with strong growth concentrated in a number of emerging gateways and transshipment hubs, while several established ports face challenges in sustaining the momentum achieved in previous years.
#PEMP – https://lnkd.in/dX2GiEPX
#Porteconomics – https://lnkd.in/e9Rjd-bi
